


Summer Camp leads to Lifelong Love

by ellaaa25



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Adorable, Army, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, Privacy please, Protectiveness, Soldier Tobin Heath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 09:09:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20337658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellaaa25/pseuds/ellaaa25
Summary: Christen is married to a soldier and the girls want to meet her. All Christen wants is for them to let her be.





	Summer Camp leads to Lifelong Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoy! (All mistakes are mine, and i don't own anything)

“What’s your name?” The guy asked.

“Christen. Christen Heath.” She replied, a bit confused.

He chuckled. “Well, Christen Heath. Can I buy you a drink? A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be sitting here alone.”

“No thanks. I’m waiting for my friends and I am very happy to wait by myself.” She turned back to the bar and tried to ignore the guy. He kept pushing and asking questions until the bartender saw she was really frustrated and sent him away. She thanked him and went back to her drink.

Kelley and Ali chose that exact moment to walk over. “He was cute Chris.” Kelley exclaimed.

Christen rolled her eyes. “You know I am not interested.”

“We have never met your wife! I get that she is a soldier, but seriously! Almost 7 years is a long time to not meet someone.” Kelley complained. She was worried for her friend, she never looked happy.

“Drop it Kelley.” Ali muttered. She had seen this argument many times before and it never ended well.

Christen just took another drink. Kelley kept talking. “I’ve seen like three photos and know her name is Tobin! I need more Chris!”

Kelley started rambling off questions and Christen ignored them. Until she got off the topic of her personal life, she wasn’t talking to her. Ali just bought her another drink and smiled sadly at her. She knew how much Christen hated talking about herself and the only thing that the National Team knew about her was that she loved playing in Sweden and she had a wife in the army. Her family, her history, everything was a mystery. It wasn’t like they hadn’t tried getting the information out of her, but she never spilt the beans.

Christen Heath was an enigma and it killed Kelley that she didn’t have all the information.

After about 20 minutes of non-stop questioning, Kelley finally gave up. She just got a drink and the girls started talking about the Algarve Cup they are about to start competing in. Christen had only played 2 games for the National Team, while Ali was coming back from injury. They were both nervous in their own way and had snuck out for a drink. It was a mocktail, but it gave them the chance to unwind. Kelley came with them because she was nosy and had overheard the two roommates’ plans.

* * *

They won the Cup and the girls celebrated that night. Alcohol and ultra-competitive athletes is a deadly combination. They played games and did stupid shit, and no one noticed Christen was pretty sober. She was happy to watch everyone else do stupid shit, but she was keeping one eye on her phone the whole night.

She snuck away for an hour and came back happier. No one noticed and she started to party with the girls, not telling them that she was celebrating for more than one reason.

* * *

Christen flew back to Sweden and found her wife, Tobin, in their bed. She was sound asleep and a little beat up, but she was home. She climbed under the covers and cuddled into Tobin. She was happy she was finally home.

* * *

Christens wife was only able to stay in Sweden for 6 weeks before she had to return to work. She was a soldier and split her time between being deployed in the Middle East, with Christen wherever she was and on base in the States. Generally, Tobin spent more time in the Middle East than anywhere else, so Christen cherished the time they were together.

Ali and Ashlyn had no idea that they had almost met Christens wife. They were going to surprise Christen after training with some chicken noodle soup because she had called in sick. They had been back from Portugal for a couple of weeks and their first game was coming up on the weekend.

They knocked on the door and heard Christen callout that she was coming. She opened the door and looked horrible. She let them in, and Ali went and started doling out the soup while Ashlyn tidied up a bit. Christen protested but it was weak. She just sat on the couch and cuddled up with a blanket. Ali brought her the soup and watched as Christen had some but was struggling to stay awake. The couple left once she fell asleep.

Not five minutes later, the apartment door opened and Tobin walked in. She saw her wife passed out on the couch and soup in a bowl. She realised one of her teammates must have come by and was a bit bummed she had missed them. She hadn’t met any of her wife’s teammates yet. She had seen photos and heard stories, but whenever she was home she just wanted to be with Christen. She hadn’t even seen her play for the National Team or Swedish team yet because she had been deployed.

Tobin tidied up and carried Christen to bed. She had a month left with her wife and she was going to make use of every single minute. As she tidied up, she thought of the journey they had taken to come this far.

* * *

Tobin and Christen had met at Summer camp in 2003. Christen was about to start her Freshman year at high school and Tobin was going into her Sophmore year. They had just clicked from the get go and had spent the entire summer together. When they went back to opposite sides of the country, they spent most of their time chatting online. They were both quiet kids and their connection wasn’t something they were going to ignore. Their parents didn’t approve of them spending so much time online and not studying. It just drove them to talk more.

Every summer they made sure they went to the same camp so they could see each other. When Tobin graduated, she packed up her life and went to live in California for a year while Christen finished her Senior year. Her parents didn’t approve of her not going to college even though she had always wanted to go into the Army or too art school. When she moved, they told her not to come home until she had a college degree. Her life didn’t line up with what they wanted for her, so they told her not to come back.

She never did.

Christen spent that summer practically living at Tobin’s apartment and her parents didn’t approve. They hadn’t met the girl that was making their daughter so happy, and they didn’t want to. They wanted Christen in their home under their control. They had plans for her to be a lawyer, but she just wanted to play soccer. She had accepted a scholarship to Stanford for soccer and hadn’t told her parents. Half-way through her winter break, she turned 18 and moved in with Tobin. Her parents gave her an ultimatum. Dump the girl and come back home, or don’t come back at all.

She didn’t go back.

Tobin worked at a tattoo studio as an artist for Christens senior year so she could support Christen while she studied and trained. She made a really good living off it and loved the work. It was freeing and it gave her time to be with Christen.

Christen was quiet at school and everyone knew she had moved out when her younger sister started yelling at her in the hall one day. She had left her behind and wanted her to come home to her family. Christen hugged her, kissed her on the temple and whispered, “I can’t” before turning and walking away.

Tobin was her family and she went home to her. She had three months left of high school before she could escape to the freedom of college. No one would know her, and she was looking forward to the new start.

Tobin proposed after Christens graduation in 2007. She had cheered proudly when she crossed that stage and took her out for dinner. They went for a walk on the beach and Tobin got down on one knee and poured her heart to Christen. She didn’t even see the ring before she answered yes and tackled her to the ground.

The ring was simple and perfect for Christen. The matching wedding bands were along the same vein. They married a week later at the courthouse in Boston. Both women were in nice white dresses and their happiness was blinding. They wanted to be married before Tobin and Christen were separated again. Christen changed her last name to Heath and they went back to California.

Tobin enlisted in the army with Christen by her side. They had copped enough shit from people that they were discussing whether they were public with their marriage, but they knew they were strong enough to survive the real world and they embraced it.

Christen Heath went into Stanford with her wedding and engagement ring proudly displayed on her left hand.

Tobin Heath went into the army and her rings sat neatly on her ring finger.

The next seven years were long and hard, but they did everything they could to be together.

Every time the girls were together, they didn’t talk about meeting their respective teammates or squad. They just savoured the time they were together. Christen knew more of Tobin’s friends because on the rare occasion she was not training or playing in a squad, and Tobin was stationed in the US, she lived with her. Christen didn’t like talking about herself and Tobin around the team. They knew she was married, and she was proud of her wife. But she wasn’t going to let them bully her into telling them the nitty gritty details.

* * *

Tobin left Sweden and headed back to base in Florida. She was a Staff Sergeant and due to be redeployed after Christmas. The pair had spent most of their time in other parts of the world but always looked forward to coming back to each other.

Christen travelled when she could to see Tobin, but the soldier was stuck on base. She ended up deploying on Christens 25th birthday, much to their horror. Tobin flew back home on her 26th birthday in May, meeting her wife in Chicago. She surprised her at the hotel she was staying at with flowers and a smile. Christen just dragged her inside laughing.

Tobin was stationed in Florida but with all of the travel the Red Stars did, Christen was able to fly down and visit fairly often. She had her own house on base, and it was home for Tobin for the next few months.

Christen was in and out of National Team camps and ecstatic when Jill Ellis came in as her coach in 2014. Over the first year of her tenure, the entire US Soccer program felt more energized than it had in years.

Christens phone rang and she saw it was Tobin. She quickly excused herself and left the room, unaware the door hadn’t shut properly and that the girls could hear half the conversation.

_Hey Babe. I miss you._

_How is it in Florida?_

_When do they want you to go?_

_Fuck that is soon._

_I’ll miss you though. You’ll be on the other side of the world._

_I will have the girls, but it isn’t the same. Kelley is still trying to set me up on dates._

_They are still down a bit. We all are but it’s the first day of camp. We’ll pick up._

_Ali is my roommate, which is good. She just lets me be and doesn’t give me shit._

_You do need to meet them. But we haven’t been able to be together when I have been in camp. We were only together for a couple of days at a time. _

_We will make it work. We have made this far already babe. _

_I’ll let you get back to work. Call me tomorrow? If I’m not training, I’ll answer._

_I love you too Tobin. Night._

Christen hung up the phone and went back into the quiet room. She sat down and noticed everyone was looking at her.

“How’s Tobin?” Alex asked.

Christens eyes went wide. “She is fine. Why?”

“We heard the conversation, at least half of it. She’s leaving again, isn’t she?” Kelley said with narrowed eyes.

Christen got annoyed. “She isn’t leaving, she is getting deployed. In a week. I don’t get why it pisses you off that you haven’t met her. Newsflash, I more annoyed that I don’t get to see her than you are about not meeting her.”

“Kelley, leave her alone.” Ash said. She was tired of Kelley’s arguments.

“Thanks Ash.”

“They have been together forever. I know you want to protect her Kelley, but she is a big girl.” Allie said.

“But she barely even talks about her. I have never heard her mention her family, just Tobin and that is rarely. I am allowed to be concerned Allie! And I am confused as to why you guys aren’t more concerned!” Kelley ranted.

“Both of our families don’t speak to us because we are together, and we didn’t follow the paths they wanted. I left home on my 18th birthday and moved in with Tobin. She is on the other side of the world half the time and it is hard. We always got shit for being together, so I don’t talk about it. We were outed in high school and married in college. We have no family! We have each other and that is it Kelley! So, back the fuck off and stay out of my life.” Christen stormed out of the room and the girls froze. Ashlyn and Ali went out after the forward. They were close and knew more about Tobin and Christen than the rest of them. They laughed when they found they had missed her by five minutes in Sweden and that she had been at their games but not wanted to distract the team.

The girls were quiet. “You happy now Kelley?” Carli asked quietly.

* * *

Ash and Ali found Christen in her room hours later. She was crying into the computer and they realised she must be on Skype with Tobin.

_Babe, they can say what they want. But we know the truth. You have never let it get to you before, don’t start now. _

“I’m trying not to, but it is Kelley. She has known me the longest and it hurts.”

Ali knocked on the door and interrupted the pair. “Hey, we just wanted to check on you.”

Christen wiped her eyes. “I’m fine. Come here and meet Tobin.”

The couple rushed across and saw a very sleepy Tobin on the other side of the computer screen. Ash mentally calculated the time in Florida and gaped. It was 1 am. “Dude, you look exhausted. It is great to meet you but get some sleep. From what I hear, you deploy in a week.”

_Tobin chuckled. “You must be Ash, so I am assuming that is Ali. I’m fine, I’ll stay up till Chris needs me.”_

“Go to bed babe, I’ll be okay with Ash and Ali. You need rest.”

_“If you’re sure. Text me in the morning how you are feeling and I’ll call when I can. I love you.”_

“Love you too.”

They hung up and the three women were silent. “The reason she is taking the risk of the earlier deployment is so she can see me play in the World Cup next year. She is doing everything she can for me, and some people can’t see that.”

Ali hugged the younger woman. “You can’t change some peoples perception. I think, until Kelley meets Tobin and can interrogate her like she feels she needs to, she won’t change. In her mind, she has your best interest at heart.”

Christen nodded into the hug and eventually fell asleep in her arms. Ash and Ali left the room quietly, vowing to do what they could to get Kelley of Christens back.

* * *

Tobin was always moving around the world and rarely in Chicago with Christen for more than a month at a time. When Christen wasn’t in season in Chicago or with the National Team, she was with Tobin in Florida. If Tobin was deployed, she still stayed in their house on the Florida base. She loved it there and it made her feel closer to Tobin.

Tobin wasn’t back from overseas until just before the first World Cup game. She was flying straight to Canada from the Middle East. She did have the 6 weeks off from the beginning of June to the middle of July so she could be there for her wife. She was really excited to get to watch her play at the highest level.

Everything was organised for Tobin to fly in for the big family dinner in Canada before the first game against Australia. The dinner was two nights before the game. Tobin had spoken to Team USA and they had kept it a secret from Christen. Christen was just happy she would see her at the game.

A member of the US Soccer staff picked her up from the airport. He was asking her questions about Christen and she was happy to gush about how awesome she was and how much she loved her. She was still in her fatigues and had her glasses on. She had flown from a war zone in the Middle East and hadn’t slept in almost 36 hours, but she was the happiest person in the world. Tobin had no idea her words were being recorded and their reunion was going to be posted online.

They got to the hotel and Tobin finally noticed a camera in the lobby. She didn’t think anything of it and just carried her duffel where she was directed. It was almost 8pm and dinner was almost over. It was just time for Jill’s speech before dessert was served.

The US Soccer staff member quickly sent of a text message when they got to the door of the dining room. When he got a reply, he knew it was safe to open the door.

Tobin went through the door and noticed she was at the back of the room. Everyone’s attention was on some lady at the front who Tobin eventually realised was the coach Jill. She waited quietly in the shadows at the back. Jill was talking when she noticed Tobin and grinned. She quickly got on with her speech for a few more minutes and was talking about family.

“Now, I know there is one player here who is currently stealing one of my defenders and goalkeeper’s family as her own.” The group laughed and Christen indignant ‘hey’ set them off more. She was sitting with Ali and Ashlyns families. “You know I mean well Heath. And that is how close our team is. Everyone here is family. If someone’s family can’t make it, the team becomes that family.” Everyone awed at the words and they knew it was true. They were best friends and they loved each other like family.

“Heath, we love you and we are your family whenever Tobin is deployed.” Christen teared up and thanked the coach. “However, your wife is currently standing at the back of the room waiting for me to shut up so she can say hello.”

Christens head whipped to the back of the room and saw her wife standing their in her fatigues with her duffel bag on her shoulder. Before she knew it, she was flying across the room and jumping into Tobins arms crying.

Tobin saw her coming and dropped her bag. She caught her and held her as everyone cried and cheered at the reunion. “I’ve got you.”

Christen kissed her wife before she dropped her legs from around her waist. “How are you here? I didn’t think I’d see you until after the Australia game.”

Tobin grinned and shook her head. “I was always coming here early.”

Christen took her by the hand and led her towards the group. Partners, parents and siblings were all introducing themselves to Tobin and Tobin took it well. She was dead on her feet but refused to show it.

Tobin did have to run back and grab her duffel before she sat down and was officially introduced to Ali and Ashlyn. She got up again to hug the pair and they spoke about little things until the end of dessert when the families were leaving. They weren’t staying in the same hotel as the players.

Tobin was allowed to stay in the same hotel for that night because US Soccer had booked her in there. They weren’t sure at the time what time she would arrive and it was easier to have her at the hotel they were all staying at for a night.

Eventually the only ones left were the team and Tobin. They came up to introduce themselves, but Tobin asked them to let her guess. She got the majority right because Christen had sent her photos and raved about them enough that she felt she knew them already.

Kelley was civil and swallowing her tongue. She knew she had been in the wrong in the past but she wanted to protect Christen. Now she met the Mrs, she knew she wasn’t as bad as she had thought but she still felt she had a point.

Tobin shook Kelleys hand and pretended nothing was wrong. She could talk to the player after the World Cup if there were still issues.

Christen showed Tobin to her room much to the amusement of her teammates. She was rooming with Ali and knew the she wouldn’t hassle her.

They had a short private reunion make out session but Tobin and Christen knew that they were not in the right place to reconnect. Tobin was exhausted and Christen had a massive tournament to play. Christen went back to her room 30 minutes later and found Ali on her phone.

“You good now Chris?”

Christens smile was blinding. “Amazing.”

The won the World Cup and Tobin was at every game cheering her wife. She was wearing her jersey and was proudly telling anyone who would listen that Christen was her wife. When Christen scored she cried and when she didn’t play she cheered for her teammates.

Tobin cried when Christen found her in the stands as they celebrated the win. She held her close and kissed her deeply. They both had tears down their cheeks and massive smiles on their faces. It was the happiest either had been in years.

After the World Cup, Christen went back to Chicago and Tobin went to Florida when her leave was up. The soldier was trying to get a transfer to Chicago and had been approved to move in September.

They got 9 months together in Chicago and Christens teammates got to see a different version of Tobin and Christen. They were the most in love couple you would ever see and most supportive. Tobin was at every home game and Christen positively beaming the entire time. It was great to see.

Tobin missed the debacle of the Rio Olympics. She wasn’t able to go and support Christen because she was deploying the day of the opening ceremony. She had been promoted to Sergeant First Class and was going to be away for 6 months.

Christen didn’t know Tobin had left cheat cards for her friends and how to help Christen when she was down. It was adorable and every single thing on the cards worked.

Tobin returned and then she left again. She was back and forth from the middle east, with no official deployment but they needed her over there. None of the girls were brave enough to ask what she was doing over there. Tobin had managed to make sure she was back for Christens 100th cap match and the celebration in August.

* * *

It was Christens 100th cap celebration on August 31st, 2018 and US Soccer wanted to interview her family and teammates about Christen for the tribute video. Considering her only family was Tobin, it was a bit different. Tobin was only there for a few days and had arrived the afternoon of the match. The videographer met her at the airport and did the video on the way to the hotel. He ended up with enough material to create a feature length movie. Her national team teammates ended up taking the piss out of her in their videos and it was a lot of jokes and fun. US Soccer ended up creating two dedication videos. One for just Tobin and one for just her teammates.

Christen led her team out for her 100th cap. She knew normally a family member presented the jersey to the player and she was hoping it was Tobin. She had flown in that afternoon to see this happen.

_If you could all turn to the screen to watch Christen Heaths teammates show how much they appreciate and love her_.

The video they showed was of her teammates telling the world all about her. There was laughter and tears from the girls who were in the video. Christen blushed and laughed with everyone else, happy to see what her family thought of her.

The two-minute video was only a small part of a much larger video.

The stadium cheered when the video ended, and the announcer began speaking again.

_To present Christen Heaths 100th cap framed jersey to her, please welcome Sergeant First Class, Tobin Heath!_

Christen left the head of the line of players to the applause of the crowd. She was beaming at her wife in full dress uniform as she carried the jersey. She hugged her tight and they posed for a couple of photos before the announcer began speaking again.

_Once again, could you all turn to the big screen for another short video._

Tobin put her arm around Christen and pulled her in as close as she could as they watched the video.

_Tobin was in her fatigues in the back of the US Soccer van. It was from back in 2015. They watched as Christen jumped into the soldiers arms at the end of Jills speech. Images and videos of the couple together was paired with Tobin talking about their journey._

_“Chris and I met at Summer camp way back in 2003. We just clicked and were inseparable. We lived on opposite coasts but every year we went back to the same summer camp._

_I moved to California when I graduated high school. Chris was in her senior year and we had spent enough time apart that I didn’t even think about not moving to be with her. I just knew we had to be together. My family weren’t happy I wasn’t going to college and told me not to come back. So I didn’t._

_Chris moved in with me when she turned 18. I was working as an artist at a tattoo shop and was doing well enough I could support us both while she studied and trained. Her parents didn’t approve of the fact she wanted to play soccer for her career and demanded she go back home and study law. She didn’t and she stayed with me. We got married that Summer. She went to Stanford and I enlisted._

_It was tough being apart all the time but the girls on the team really supported Chris. I got to see her win a World Cup, but those girls are her family and have been for years._

_I am so proud of her for everything she has done in soccer. It was her passion and her love, and she never let the world tell her no. She kept pushing and fighting for it. We may be on opposite sides of the world most of the time, but I will always be by her side. She is my inspiration and my hero. Love you Chris.” _

The whole stadium cheered when the video ended. The team was cheering and tearing up.

Tobin quickly kissed her wife before she left the field. The whole stadium cheered at that and the US players she walked past were staring at her. She waved at a couple of the players who smiled at her before she went back into the tunnel with the US Soccer staff member. She got to watch the match from behind the bench and cheered when her wife scored. She got a kiss for that and the stadium swooned.

Dinner that night was a joyous affair. Toasts were made and laughs were had. The whole team was there and Ashlyn accidently made the table tip when Tobin told her something she found hilarious.

Tobin and Christen went back to their hotel room. Tobin just held her wife close and Christen closed her eyes. “When do you have to leave?”

Tobin smiled. “Never.”

Christen shot up quickly. “What?”

“The reason I had to go back and forth to the Middle East was to train the newbies who were in different squads. The only reason I had to do that was because I was retiring on the 1st of September. I’ve been in for 11 years Chris. I did what I loved, but now I want to finish up and get out so I can live my life with you.”

Christen was crying and she kissed her wife deeply. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Today was about you. Tomorrow you can shout it from the rooftops and I will be officially retired, but today was for you.”

Christen and Tobin celebrated their milestones well into the night, extremely happy they would rarely be apart again.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Comments really help (if they are nice, positive or constructive ) and Kudos are always fun


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